As U.N. member states negotiate the formulation of the new post-2015 development agenda, the successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals, the world is watching.
The Open Working Group has now delivered its report, and negotiations for the new post-2015 development agenda will soon get underway, the success of which will depend in large part on the extent to which it is owned and whether people can hold those in power to account for what they decide.
A universal, transformative and rights-based post-2015 development agenda requires a universal commitment to measure progress, in every country, regardless of development status. It also requires a concerted effort to ensure data is being collected and is available to support monitoring, and that it is open and transparent, to ensure real accountability. The OWG has set out an ambitious agenda, with 17 goals and 169 targets. The challenge now will be to ensure that all the targets are measurable, and that the right indicators are put in place to measure progress.
About the authors
John Hendra@johnunwomen
John Hendra is former deputy executive director for policy and program at UN Women. He is now serving as Senior Coordinator, UN “Fit for Purpose” for the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Eduardo Sojo
Eduardo Sojo Garza-Aldape is president of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico, and member of the UN Secretary-General's Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development. Previously he was head of the Office of the President of Mexico for Public Policy and Coordinator of the Economic Cabinet, Minister of Economy and research analyst at the University of Pennsylvania Link Project.
